The Breakfast Chain French Toast We Ranked The Best According To Our Taste Test

While there are many ways to give French toast an unexpected twist — such as flavoring it with peanut butter or orange zest and liqueur — Chowhound stuck to the basics when ranking six breakfast chains' French toast from worst to best. Yes, some restaurants serve up extra indulgent takes on this classic breakfast dish (Another Broken Egg Cafe's Cinnamon Roll French Toast is a good example). However, to maintain consistency and clarity, Chowhound's review only covers each restaurant's classic French toast option. Restaurants taken into consideration include Bob Evans (the worst of the bunch), IHOP, Cracker Barrel, The Original Pancake House, the aforementioned Another Broken Egg Cafe, and — drumroll, please — our big winner, First Watch.

All in all, the French toasts were pretty solid across the board, including Bob Evans' last-place offering (its downfall was that the egg mixture didn't soak into the bread properly). But First Watch's French toast took top spot thanks to its cinnamon-flavored egg batter that was perfectly complemented by a mixed berry compote — a tasty topping that stood out from the pack of maple syrups. Here's what else set it apart, and some other options if you find yourself at First Watch and have a hankering for more than just basic French toast.

First Watch uses challah bread for its French toast, which is preferred by the professionals due to its fluffy texture and pleasant flavor. Besides First Watch, only one other restaurant on the ranking typically uses challah for its French toast: IHOP, which only came in at No. 5 because its French toast batter wasn't all that interesting. Other bread choices include brioche (Bob Evans) and sourdough (Cracker Barrel and the Original Pancake House). For the most part, though, the bread choice didn't make or break the ranking. Our final assessment ultimately came down to the batter, value, and toppings. 

Speaking of toppings: In addition to the crown-clinching compote, First Watch's French toast is served with whipped butter and powdered cinnamon sugar. The syrup that came with the reviewed dish was just a basic flavored syrup made with cane sugar. However, you can upgrade to real maple syrup if you like — highly recommended, and something we particularly appreciated about Cracker Barrel's French toast.

In addition to its original French toast, First Watch offers a fresh-fruit-topped Floridan French toast that comes with tropical fruits like banana and kiwi, along with seasonal berries. Younger diners can order the kids' French toast that comes with a single slice alongside fresh fruit and your choice of bacon or sausage. Both of these are also made with challah bread and topped with powdered cinnamon sugar.